Historical Germanic Phalanx..!

[Shieldmaiden]

I've just (partially) read an english translation of In Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic Wars) written by Gaius Julius Caesar.

Caesar writes about Gauls/Germans using a Phalanx formation during his wars against the Helvetii (a Gallic tribe) and Ariovistus (a Germanic king).

But the Germans, according to their custom, rapidly forming a phalanx, sustained the attack of our swords. There were found very many of our soldiers who leaped upon the phalanx, and with their hands tore away the shields, and wounded the enemy from above

Blimey

I called a German Phalanx ridiculous in a thread not long ago - excuse me while I eat my foot

Library FTW

[guineawolf]

that means germans phalanxe useless???

[I of the Storm]

Wouldn't say so. Let's put it this way: it was not invincible. If it was useless, they wouldn't have done it at all.

[Shieldmaiden]

I thought I'd post about it because a lot of people - me included - thought a Germanic Phalanx just a historical inaccuracy in RTW.

Obviously not...

[I of the Storm]

Although I think that the description "phalanx" is a bit misleading, for it gives associations with the greek style. I suppose it was more of a spear wall, than the disciplined macedonian phalanx.
But then, how was Caesar - regarding his background - supposed to call it, if not "phalanx"?

[Shieldmaiden]

If it looks like a Phalanx and works like a Phalanx... might as well call it a Phalanx

The Greeks used a number of different Phalanx types didn't they?

[guineawolf]

I thought I'd post about it because a lot of people - me included - thought a Germanic Phalanx just a historical inaccuracy in RTW.

Obviously not...

oh.......

[Galapagos]

I thought I'd post about it because a lot of people - me included - thought a Germanic Phalanx just a historical inaccuracy in RTW.

Obviously not...

I thought that too...

[christof139]

Both Gauls, as described Telamon ( I think it was at Telamon), and Germans, the Cimbri and friends at Orange etc., used dense shieldwall/phalnx formations, and behaved in a fairly intelligent and disciplined manner, and the Romans had a veryhard time defeating their ordered and disciplined defensive formations. At Telamon After the initial rush of Gallic skirmishers and Gesaeti (wild spearmen and swordsmen fanatics) was defeated by the Romans, the large amount of remaining Gallic infantry fought on the defensive in solid, ordered, and disciplined massed ranks. The Germans at Orange etc. are described as holding a disciplined shieldwall/phalanx formation with white shields and metal breastplates.

When advancing, the Gauls usually did so at a slow to normal pace so as to retain order and discipline in their ranks, they weren't stupid and were very experienced at war, and then they would charge, make their 'barbarain rush' when they got closer to, probably within missile range, of the enemy line of battle.

Many ancient military terms were used casually and interchangeably as Polybius and Livy do quite frequently.

Chris